..The process responsible for accumulation of TRF2 in immortalized HMEC and breast tumor-derived cell lines may promote tumorigenesis by contributing to the cells' ability to maintain an indefinite lifespan...

..Our findings provide a previously unrecognized mechanistic explanation for the observation that ectopically expressed hTERT conveys growth advantages to cells, without having to postulate nontelomeric functions for the enzyme...

..Attainment of immortality and telomerase reactivation are crucial to human carcinoma development; the derangements responsible for attainment of immortality may be rate-limiting and permissive for further progression to malignancy...

..Our results indicate that the senescence response to telomere dysfunction is reversible and is maintained primarily by p53. However, p16 provides a dominant second barrier to the unlimited growth of human cells...

..Here, we review what is known about the structure and function of telomeres in mammalian cells, particularly human cells, and how telomere dysfunction may arise and contribute to cancer and aging phenotypes...